


The Path of Silence

by SuperTeenLock_1723



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Again, Again I'll add more when the story progresses, Alpha Dean, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - High School, Anal Sex, Angst, Angst and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety Attacks, Because my boys deserve love, Boys Kissing, But not in an unhealthy way, But that's the non con, But there are details, Cas is terrified of alphas, Cus they're in high school, Dean never hurts Cas, Dean's too sweet, Demisexual Cas, Demisexuality, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Forced Knotting, Good Boyfriend Dean, High School, I don't know where this story will go, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, John's actually a good dad, Kissing, Knotting, Like teenagers, Making Out, Mating, Multi, Nightmares, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Character Death, Past Child Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Possessive Dean, Pre teen age, Really fluffy, Sad Cas, Scared Cas, Scent Marking, Scenting, So please be careful if you have triggers, So these are the tags for now, The rape is kind of graphic, There are dark themes, Underage - Freeform, Young Love, Young Non con, and Mary's alive, domestic abuse, happiness, i assume, not dean and cas, not really - Freeform, omega cas, probably slow burn, so proceed with caution, sweetheart Dean
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:34:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26346427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperTeenLock_1723/pseuds/SuperTeenLock_1723
Summary: Castiel Novak has had bad experiences with alphas all his life. So by the time he enters Junior year, he's terrified of them. Enter one Dean Winchester.Or, the one where Dean Winchester is a sweetheart and maybe everything isn't as bad as it seems.Now with banner
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Charlie Bradbury & Castiel, Charlie Bradbury & Castiel & Dean Winchester, Charlie Bradbury & Dean Winchester, Gabriel/Sam Winchester, John Winchester/Mary Winchester, Lucifer/Michael (Supernatural)
Comments: 65
Kudos: 225





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> https://superwolflock1723.tumblr.com/post/632601999767191552

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings at the bottom, please check it out if you have triggers!  
> I love reading comments so feel free to leave me one.  
> Tell me if I missed any tags or warnings

Castiel whimpered as he ran into the corner, little brother on his lap, as Naomi beat on their dad.

  


He wanted to stand up, demand she stop, but the last time he tried such a thing- well, his back still held the scars, a physical reminder of that fateful day. One that haunts his dreams at night, with no soothing touch to calm him when he wakes up in tears.

  


Cas buried his face in the soft peach fuzz called Gabriel's hair, sobbing silently. He heard the terrible sound of shattering glass and his father's scream of pain, causing him to pull Gabe closer to his chest, tightening his hold the slightest bit. 

  


Gabriel startled at the loud noise, starting to cry too as he struggled to comprehend why daddy sounded like he was hurt, and the overwhelming scent of  _ omega in distress  _ permeated the air around them.

  


Castiel tried to quiet him, but it was too late, Naomi turned towards them, eyes a deep, terrifying red, signaling her alpha rage. 

  


Cas angrily wiped his tears as he stood up, gently pushing the six-month-old behind him, protecting him from harm, even as his mother stalked towards him and every instinct in his body telling him to recoil in fear. He would  _ not  _ let her hurt the innocent child that she helped __ bring into this world, of her own free will.

  


He cried out, the sound loud and pitiful in his own ears, when a hard hand hit the left side of his face, bringing with it a vicious sting that made him tear up for an entirely different reason. 

  


Gabe cried louder, and that gave him the strength to just stand there and take it, protecting his brother from the hand that should provide a calming touch, not blinding pain.

  


...

  


Chuck died of cancer when Cas was ten, leaving him in the care of his mother for five gruesome months. Michael tried to be there, acting as a barrier between Naomi and himself when he wasn't working. They both made sure Gabriel was never on the receiving end of their mother's anger, trying to preserve his innocence for as long as possible.

  


He was five at the time, and he didn't always understand why Cas couldn't open one of his eyes, or why Naomi made him cry so much. Castiel was glad that he also didn't understand how the feeling of a belt on skin felt. 

  


But after those first five months of horror with just their mother, Michael got custody over both Gabriel and Castiel, and they all moved into a nice little apartment, putting almost twelve hours of space between them.

  


And when Cas was eleven, Michael met Lucifer, who he soon mated, and then they were all living in Lucifer's cozy townhouse. Cas even got his own room for the first time since living with Naomi. He tried to look at the silver lining.

  


...

  


Castiel presented as an omega at the ripe old age of twelve. And his first thought when Michael told him he was experiencing a heat, was that this meant alphas could do whatever they wanted to him. 

  


And, in a way, he was right. 

  


When he was thirteen, a family moved in next door, one with a sixteen-year-old alpha. 

  


One that would sneak in when Michael and Lucifer were at work, Gabriel at daycare. 

  


He would touch Cas, and tease him, say he was desperate for a knot, that all bitches like him were. 

  


Castiel would turn away in shame, silent tears falling as the alpha fondled his ass, stroking his flushed alpha cock over his bare stomach, talk about how he would mark him so everyone knew he belonged to an alpha. 

  


The first time he was taken, he sobbed openly, the agony of feeling like he was being split open from the inside was almost too much to bear. 

  


And even worse, the way the alpha was rutting into him, it was jostling the scars on his back, making them tingle in phantom pains. 

  


The second time was better, in the sense that he didn't cry as much. It still hurt, especially when the alpha forced his knot inside him, and for a minute, he was scared of becoming pregnant. 

  


But no such thing happened.

  


And, so, this went on for a year. The alpha got cocky enough to start sneaking in when everyone else was asleep. Castiel would go to school, feeling uncomfortable around all the alphas, but even more so when he sat down and the pain in his ass flared up, bright and blinding, reminding him of his place in the world, just because he wasn't born with a knot.

  


Then, that night, the alpha from next door would sneak in and take him again, knot him while whispering degrading things. And the next morning, he would scrub all traces from his body before the cycle repeated itself.

  


And Cas hated himself. For allowing this to happen. For just laying there and taking it. For being too weak to tell someone. 

  


But Michael was so happy with Lucifer. And Gabriel was finally making friends, coming home excited, blabbering on about his day at school.

  


Why should he ruin that happiness for everyone else? 

  


It all changed, though, when Michael was promoted and moved them to Lawrence, Kansas. Leaving behind the cruel alpha who always got a sick sense of pleasure when Cas cried, the pain in his hole taking over his will to stay strong. 

  


He hoped the next alpha that inevitably used him wasn't as harsh.

  


But deep down he knew he wouldn't get such a luxury. 

  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings:  
> -Child abuse  
> -Molestation  
> -Rape  
> -Mentions of cancer  
> -Death of parent  
> -Domestic abuse


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas, for the first time in a long time, makes a new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Psychology notes are kicking my ass, so to procrastinate, I have another chapter for you. Hope you like it!

Being a sixteen-year-old omega about to enter junior year of high school was very worrisome for Castiel. He knew better than anyone that sixteen-year-old alphas saw what they wanted and took it, no matter who it hurt. 

And while Cas wanted to just douse himself in blockers, he didn't have enough money for that. So everyone could smell him. More importantly, they could smell what he was.

Castiel was deathly afraid of alphas- of any age, really. But he couldn't very well tell Michael. What was he gonna say? "Yeah, I know mom being an abusive alpha was detrimental to my mental health, but I'm also afraid of being taken against my will. Again."

Yeah, fuck that. No one could know what he had let happen to him.

So, he sucked it up and went to school, surrounded by people of all orientations, and tried not to panic when an alpha got just a  _ little  _ too close.

And it worked. For three years, it worked. 

Until it didn't. 

...

Castiel walked with Gabriel to the middle school, for his first day of 6th grade.

"I can't believe I'm finally in middle school, Cassie! Soon I'll be in high school. Just like you!" Cas smiled, though it was slightly forced. The first day back to school always made him especially nervous. 

"Just like me, buddy. You've grown up so much." Cas wished upon wishes that Gabriel would not present as an omega. He didn't want his little brother, the person he's tried to protect from harm, to go through what he has to.

Gabe looked up at him with wide, sparkling eyes, and a smile to match. Cas hoped he would never lose that child-like innocence.

"You really think I could be like you?" He asked in an awe-inspired voice. 

Castiel hoped not.

"You can be whatever you want, bud."  _ As long as you're not an omega too _ was left unspoken.

He was surprised when he had stubby arms wrapping around his waist and a chubby face nuzzling into his stomach. Cas grinned, ruffling his hair.

"You should go inside now. I'll meet you back here at the end of the day, okay?" Gabe nodded against his stomach before practically running to the school. He stopped by the door, turning toward him and yelled out a cute 'I love you' before darting inside.

Castiel stood there for a moment, smile on his face before turning away, starting his trek to the high school. 

...

Cas was in first hour English when he was assigned a seat next to an alpha. He wanted to go up to the teacher, beg her to change his seat, place him next to another omega, or even a beta. But she had said the seating chart was final before he even got a chance to.

He turned away, hiding his face in a notebook when the alpha threw a salacious grin his way. 

All alphas were the same. 

...

In third hour Calculus, the teacher let them choose their own seats, which Cas was internally grateful for. 

He chose a seat in the corner closest to the door, not wanting the only exit to be blocked. He was startled when a redheaded beta took the seat on his right.

She smiled brightly at him, and Cas almost thought she was going to engage him in conversation, but the teacher started to explain the syllabus before she could. If she was even going to in the first place.

...

"Hey, wait up!" Cas turned, confused, to the person calling after him. It was the redheaded beta from class.

"Hey!" She said, slightly breathless once she got up to where he was standing, frozen and wide-eyed, like a deer trapped in headlights. "I'm Charlie," She shifted a few things to her left arm, before holding out her right to be shaken. 

"Um, Cas," He replied awkwardly, reaching out a hand for her to shake before letting it drop to his side.

"Cool! I'm new here, and was wondering if you wanted to sit together at lunch?" Cas was even more confused because people rarely talked to him, especially not when looking for companionship. 

He just nodded dumbly, too stunned for verbal communication. Charlie either didn't notice, or didn't care, because she just beamed at him. It was almost blinding and he found himself inexplicably drawn to her.

"Great! I just have to go to my locker, but I'll meet you there." And then she was gone, lost in the sea of students trying to get to where they needed to go.

He furrowed his brows before just shrugging and going to his own locker to deposit his stuff. 

Maybe this year wouldn't be so bad after all.

...

Lunch with Charlie was both easy and interesting. She contributed to the conversation a lot more than he did, but the quirky beta seemed content to fill the silence with her own chatter, and Cas chipped in every now and then, so he figured he wasn't too bad of a conversation partner.

He could already tell this was the start of a budding friendship. And he felt a lot better about that fact when Charlie told him that she was a lesbian. So, no chance of attraction for either of them. Thank fuck.

...

When Castiel got home, he was feeling pretty good about his day. Not much happened in the classes after lunch, and then he was going to get Gabriel, who talked about his first day the entire walk to their neighborhood.

When they got to the house, Cas was faintly surprised Gabriel could still speak. His voice would definitely be hoarse if he were Gabe.

"How was your day?" Gabriel asked once Cas got the front door unlocked, making their way into the living room.

"It was good, bud. Not as exciting as yours, that's for sure. Tell me more about this friend you made. Sam, was it?" Gabe nodded and started to talk again as Cas shed his backpack before going to the kitchen to make them a snack.

Yeah, things were starting to look up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love any and all comments, I'd love to read your feedback


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Cas finally meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I've had this sitting around for a few days 👀  
> I'm working on chapter six rn  
> Enjoy!

Castiel was happy. Actually, for the first time in his life, truly happy. 

He and Charlie soon became best friends, and Michael was beyond thrilled when Cas finally started bringing home friends. Well, friend. As in singular. But still. It was more than what Cas used to have.

Sometimes, in the hallway, he'll hear slurs as he passes alphas, and sometimes even betas, but it never went further than that and Cas has gone through much worse than being called a derogatory term, so he accepted that. It's what happened when you were an omega. 

Other than that, everything else seemed to be going great. They were only a few weeks into the first semester, but he was flourishing in his studies. First hour could be a downer, because the alpha next to him was a stupid bigot, but after that, Charlie would link arms with him in the hallway and talk to him while they went to their individual classes, and it'd make him forget everything about English class, and the hurtful phrases that alpha spat at him.

In the fourth week, though, things changed, like they always did to keep your life in balance. 

In fifth hour Anthropology, a quiet beta girl usually sat next to him. But, she wasn't there. And when class was almost starting, a green-eyed alpha took that seat instead.

Cas wanted to just pack up and sit somewhere else, but if he did that, the exit would be blocked. So, he picked the lesser of two evils and stayed sitting next to the strange alpha.

Surprisingly, he didn't say anything all hour, except for when he asked the teacher something.

When the bell finally rang, signaling the end of class, Castiel grabbed all his stuff, rushing out of class, and away from the alpha who almost smelled like apple pie, not that Cas noticed, or cared.

That night, Cas worried as Gabriel told him all about Sam, who just presented as an alpha. 

...

The next day, Cas was relieved to see the beta from Anthropology class in the hallways. But when fifth hour rolled around, he entered the classroom to find the same alpha from the day before sitting in her seat.

Castiel pushed down the anxious fluttering in his stomach and sat down next to him.

After that, the green-eyed, pie-smelling alpha took up residency in the seat every day, and Cas was just waiting for when he finally made his move. Whether that included making sexual gestures and demands, or throwing omega slurs his way. Or maybe even both, if he was especially terrible.

But the alpha- Dean, he soon learned was his name, he stayed quiet. This went on for two excruciating weeks, which was filled with Cas anxiously keeping a close eye on him, wondering if that was going to be the day Dean did something.

It was a Wednesday when Mr. Fuller, the Anthropologist teacher, announced they'd have to partner up with the person next to them for their first project. 

Cas swallowed nervously, his throat suddenly dry, as he turned to see the alpha staring at him with a strange intensity in his eyes. 

They only had about five minutes left of class, which Dean must have realised because he pulled out a piece of paper, writing something on it before handing it over.

Castiel reluctantly grabbed it, looking down to find some numbers scrawled in hurried writing.

"It's my phone number. You can text, or call, me so we can set up a time to meet." Dean was smiling at him, and Cas just nodded in understanding, not returning the smile. He didn't want to give the alpha any more ideas than he probably already had.

When they were dismissed, Cas made his way up to the teacher, biting his lip anxiously before Mr. Fuller noticed him.

"Yes, Castiel?" The beta asked kindly, sitting down at his desk.

"Um, I was wondering if there was an-any way I could change partners?"  _ One that's not an alpha.  _ But he was pretty sure he wouldn't be allowed to change partners just because of his secondary gender.

"Is there something wrong with Mr. Winchester? Because as far as I'm concerned, he's an exceptional student, and would be a great partner on this project." 

"Well, I just... I don't feel completely comfortable working with an alpha," He admitted, because he really didn't know anything about Dean, so it's not like he could just make up a believable excuse.

Mr. Fuller sighed, and Cas almost expected an eye roll to follow, but it never came. "Castiel, I understand that you might feel more comfortable working with another omega or something. But school prepares you for life, and you won't exactly be able to have all omega coworkers just because you don't like alphas. I'm sorry, but you can't change partners. Now, get to your next class. Before you're late."

He wanted to protest, but he knew it wouldn't get him anywhere and he already felt uncomfortable with the amount of confrontation.

So, with furrowed brows, and a heavy heart, he left the room, resigning himself to the fact that he'd be taken advantage of by yet another alpha.

Hopefully, with his aging, it won't be as painful this time.

But when was life ever so kind?

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, please, please leave a comment. They always make my day


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get a peak into Dean's perspective.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! I don't think I need any warnings for this chapter, but I honestly don't remember.

Dean groaned as his alarm went off at too-fucking-early O'clock. Being a junior was great and all, but he wished he could just be done with school. Or at least a senior, so he was closer to being done.

No seventeen-year-old wanted to be awake before the stupid sun to get ready and mingle with assholes. None that he knew, anyways. 

He got up because while he would be fine with skipping school, he was Sam's transportation, and even though he was young, Dean knew he was going places. And Dean wasn't going to hinder him just because he wanted more sleep. 

Unlike himself, Sam was happy to be up early, so Dean wasn't worried about him as he quickly dressed before going down to make them breakfast. Mom was still sleeping off her night shift, and dad had left an hour ago, so food was up to him. At least in most mornings. 

He opted for a simple dish, cheesy, scrambled eggs, with disgusting kale sprinkled over Sam's because he's an abomination of God. Not that Dean was religious or anything. 

When the food was done and plated, Sam was dressed, and his ridiculously long hair was brushed. All in all, he looked like a little princess. Dean stated as much, which earned him a bitchface and the middle finger. 

"Hey, now! You're too young for that shit. Now stop complaining and eat." Sammy rolled his eyes, but didn't object as he started in on his eggs, eating them at record speed. 

Dean understood. He remembered what it was like coming out of his first rut. 

"You gonna tell your little boyfriend about your new alpha status?" He teased as he ate his own food at a more reasonable pace.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Sam objected after finishing his plate, face red.

"Sure he isn't," Dean said with an unbelieving eye roll. "Just finish what's left in the pan so we can go, bitch." Sam grumbled at him, but was too busy stuffing his face to respond.

...

When Dean got to school after dropping Sam off, he was too drowsy to pay attention to anything. Not even at lunch. Benny and everyone else was laughing around him, and he barely even registered the sound. He was up late the night before working on homework after he was done at his actual job. He worked part-time at an auto shop owned by his uncle. 

He was a little more awake after eating, and by the time fifth-hour Anthropology came, he was ready to actually engage in what was being taught.

When he walked into the classroom, he was making his way to go sit by Garth when bright blue eyes caught his attention. He faltered long enough to take in the scent and holy fucking shit. 

That was the single best thing he'd ever smelled, and he took advantage of the empty seat next to they blue-eyed student to take in more of it. 

He smelled like leather-bound books, honey, a field of sunflowers, and Sunday mornings spent eating pie. It was positively mouthwatering. And with that was the unmistakable scent of unmated omega. 

His alpha wanted to just nuzzle up to the omega's scent gland, mark him as his. But Dean wasn't a knothead, and even if he was, scenting is an intimate act that should really be consented to. He certainly wouldn't want some strange omega getting all cozy with his scent gland. 

Dean wanted to talk to him, start some kind of conversation, but what would he even say? Anything he had sounded creepy, pervy, or both. 

So, he just sat silently, subtly scenting the air, and waiting for an opportunity to talk to him.

...

Dean made sure to sit in the same spot the next day, hoping the omega would sit there too. Garth, thankfully, didn't seem too bitter about the fact that he was sitting on the opposite side of the room now.

It took two weeks before he found a reason to talk to the very beautiful omega. Two weeks of stolen glances, subtle scenting, and pining thoughts. This opportunity came in the form of a presentation.

And while Dean absolutely hated doing projects, he found it would probably be worth it when he got to work with this absolute angel.

He watched the omega to see his reaction to the news, and when he turned to meet his gaze, Dean almost startled when he realised how electrifying those eyes were when focused on him.

Blue was his new favorite color.

So, he wrote down his phone number, trying not to seem too eager as he handed it to Cas. Yeah, Dean knew his name. But his inner alpha purred when he referred to him as omega. 

Not because Dean believed omegas are lesser beings because of their orientation, but because he felt happy and soft when he thought of Cas maybe someday being his omega. 

He was a little disappointed when he didn't get to hear his voice. Because the omega hasn't spoken once in the past two weeks. But Dean just summed it up to him being shy.

He stayed behind a little when Cas went up to talk to the teacher and oh my god. That voice! It was like a fucking wet dream. Well, until he realised Cas was trying to get a new partner.

He felt hurt swell up inside him as he rushed to leave before he could hear more of the conversation. 

Okay, so maybe Cas wouldn't be his omega sometime in the future. 

His alpha recoiled in his rejection, whining in the pain that came along with that. And it really shouldn't hurt as much as it did. He barely even knew Cas. Actually, scratch that. Didn't know him at all. The only things he did learn over the time spent sitting next to him was his name, Castiel, orientation, omega, and that he didn't like Dean for some reason.

That last fact had him wanting to curl up in his nest to wallow in his misery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Dean :(  
> Please please please leave a comment <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once again, Dean and Cas are on two completely different pages

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little warning, there will be mentions of that past rape, and suspicion of future rape. Please be careful, you know yourself and your triggers best.  
> Otherwise, enjoy!

As much as Castiel didn't want to text anybody, alpha or not, he bit the bullet and sent a message. They only had about a week and a half to work on this project, and he really needed a good grade. Though, he doubted Dean would help much with that. 

Alphas weren't very capable of thinking with anything other than their knot. Add in the fact that they think such frivolous activities, such as school, was meant for omegas and omegas alone.

So, yeah, he wasn't expecting much of a partnership here.

**Castiel to Dean (4:36 PM)** :

_ Hello. Dean? This is Castiel, the omega from class. _

Cas gritted his teeth, but he doubted Dean knew anything about him other than the fact that he was unmated omega, ripe for the taking.

**Dean to Castiel (4:44 PM):**

_ i know ur name Cas. what's up? _

Cas was actually surprised by that. Dean knew his name? How? It's not like he exactly told the alpha anything about him. Then he realised, like a dumbass, that Mr. Fuller said his name.

**Castiel to Dean (4:46 PM):**

_ Right. Anyways, did you wanna meet up to do the project or something?  _

He knew Dean would most likely make him do it himself, but he had to at least try to rope the alpha into it somehow. 

**Dean to Castiel (4:48 PM):**

_ yeah sounds good. my place alright? i could drive you after school tomorrow. _

Cas bit his lip, not wanting to be alone with an alpha in his own house. When he tried something, there would be no one there to help him. 

**Castiel to Dean (4:50 PM):**

_ Well, I have to walk my little brother home after school.  _

It was true, Castiel didn't feel comfortable with Gabriel walking home by himself. And if it also gave him the perfect excuse, then that was just an added bonus.

**Dean to Castiel (4:53 PM):**

_ i can drop him off for you. then we could head over to my place to get started. how does that sound? _

He knew that he was out of excuses, and that he would have to go over to his house, subsequently losing that last bit of happiness he was trying to hold onto. He wanted to cry at the loss. 

Maybe Dean wouldn't knot him.

Hopefully.

**Castiel to Dean (5:00 PM):**

_ Okay. Sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow. _

Cas decided to spend his last good day with Gabriel. After tomorrow, his small, collected amounts of happiness would be gone, his soul crushed. He wouldn't be the same, he knew. 

There was only so much he and his inner omega could take. Why couldn't he have just presented as alpha?

He wondered what it would be like if he did have a knot. Would he also be a knothead? Taking what he wanted, when he wanted, with no regard to anyone else? Would he take advantage of unwilling omegas? 

He really hoped not. Castiel liked to think that he would be a good alpha, a fair one.

He checked his phone one last time before going to find Gabriel. 

**Dean to Castiel (5:02 PM):**

_ great. see you tomorrow, Cas. can't wait. _

...

Dean couldn't believe his luck. He actually managed to get Cas to agree to come to his home. He would see Dean's nest. 

Fuck! His  _ nest.  _

Dean put his phone up and started stripping the mattress of his bedding. 

He bundled them together, carrying the armload downstairs to the laundry room.

He untangled them so he could throw them in the washer. He didn't want Cas to think that his nest was dirty. 

Once the washer was going, he went back up to his bedroom to fluff up his pillows, deciding there weren't enough.

Making his way to the bathroom linen closet, he grabbed some extra pillows, only the fluffiest would do.

He couldn't exactly make up the bed yet. Not without the clean sheets. 

But he felt good about this. After the bedding was clean, his nest would be the comfiest in the house, meant to please the omega he so desperately wanted to court. 

He had to wait to start the courtship, though. Ease the omega into it, wait until he was comfortable in Dean's presence, until they were friends.

Then, and only then, he would ask Cas if he would allow Dean to court him. 

...

The next day, Cas tried not to think about what would await him that night. 

Trying to just enjoy himself at the moment. But, apparently, he wasn't doing a good enough job because Charlie almost immediately called him on his bullshit. 

"What's going on, Cas? I can practically hear that pretty head of yours thinking," For emphasis, she ruffled her hair, smiling her sweet smile at him.

"Nothing, really. I'm okay, just imagining some stuff. Sorry for being too loud," He playfully smacked her hand away, smiling right back at her. And for the first time that day, it wasn't forced. 

He was bringing himself down as he tried to think of a way to make the experience with Dean less painful.

Would he still be a little loose from the other alpha? If so, would Dean be mad? Would it hurt more or less this way? Probably less, but what if Dean was bigger? What if his knot was like having a baseball up there?

He almost didn't understand how omegas could find sex enjoyable. Did slick make it easier? Better? Could he ever find pleasure in it? Or would it always be painful for him?

No alpha would ever wait for when he was truly ready. Castiel was demisexual, something he found out through lots of research. No one wanted to wait to establish a bond with him before consummating. 

He could never truly have a normal relationship. He wished he was like everyone else. That he could instantly feel sexual attraction. 

By now, he's kind of accepted that he will never date anyone. Not of his own free will, at least.

"You're doing it again," Charlie sing-songed, but she eyed him in concern.

"Seriously, Cas. What's going on?" Cas didn't want to tell her. She'd recoil in disgust if he ever told her about his past experiences. 

Anyone in their right mind would. Just like he couldn't tell her what would happen tonight. 

Hell, he didn't even want to think about what was happening after school. But the more he tried not to think about it, the more he thought about it. 

He really had to get his shit together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Dean :( he's doing the absolute mostest  
> Please please please leave a comment! They make me so happy and inspire me to keep writing


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Cas spend an evening together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Potential trigger warnings at the bottom. Please feel free to point out any mistakes :)  
> Also, so sorry for disappearing. Long story short, my laptop basically broke. I mean, not technically, but you really don't wanna get into that mess

Dean had a big, bright smile on his face as he walked into Anthropology class, eyes immediately zeroing in on Cas.

For the first time since childhood, he had made his bed after waking up that morning, rearranging everything so it looked warm and inviting for the omega.

Not that Dean wanted to bed him. He just wanted Cas to like his nest. Maybe even want to enter it. In a non-sexual way, of course.

Dean was a virgin, and didn't care if other people thought he wasn't a real alpha because of that. Dean wanted his first time to be with someone he loved. Not with someone who was just willing. And _definitely_ not someone who was unwilling.

Taking the seat on Cas' right, the one he has claimed as his, he beamed even brighter. That delicious smell he has associated with the omega wafted up in his nose, and he delightfully inhaled, though in a, _hopefully,_ nonobvious way.

Mr. Fuller just told them to get started before silently taking attendance.

Dean turned to the omega, who was already looking at him with nervous eyes.

Maybe he _was_ shy.

"Hey, so, I don't really have any ideas about what we should research. You?" He had tried to think of some ideas last night while he waited for his bedding to wash, hoping to impress the omega with his intellect, but he was none too lucky. 

Cas seemed to think for a moment before clearing his throat, as if he hadn't talked in a while.

Dean almost wondered if he was a mute.

"I, uh, had a few. What do you think about the domestication of dogs? We could do our project on how that process happened, comparing old age dogs to the ones we keep as pets today," Dean knew he had an awe-struck look on his face, which in turn caused Cas to fidget and avert his eyes.

"Sorry, that was probably a stupid idea. What about-" 

Even though it was rude, Dean cut him off, not wanting the omega to second guess himself. "Cas, dude, that's a great idea. I just- in previous experiences, I worked on projects with alphas," He rolled his eyes at the mere thought, "And it's just nice to work with someone who actively participates and is smart. Partnering up with knotheads is not my idea of a fun time." One more eye roll, just in case he didn't emphasize how dumb alphas could be. _Especially_ adolescent male alphas.

...

Cas was confused. 

Dean almost seemed... kind. Which was a stupid thought in and of itself.

And then he'd _realised_.

_Grooming_. 

He's read _horror_ stories about alphas grooming omegas to condition them to think that the abuse inflicted upon their person was normal, maybe even deserved. 

Dean was, in a way, _worse_ than the other alphas.

At least _they_ didn't try to hide their true intentions. 

And when they got to Dean's house, he was gonna knot Cas, maybe even try to breed him in an attempt to keep Cas as his personal omega slave. 

_I'd rather it be me than Gabriel._

Maybe if he played his cards right, Dean wouldn't be too harsh on him.

...

Something dark and scary passed over Cas' eyes, and Dean didn't know how to decipher that. 

He wanted to ask if everything was okay, but they weren't exactly friends, so Cas would most likely not tell him anyways.

The omega almost looked... haunted. Haunted and _afraid._ Dean never wanted Cas to be afraid. Especially not around him. 

And before he could think of a good way to bring it up, it was gone, leaving his face in a cold neutral. 

And that was even more terrifying than the haunted look. 

Filing the information for later, he started to talk about the presentation aspect of the project.

...

As much as Cas was loathe to admit it, Dean's car was gorgeous. It was sleek and black, so clean it was _shining_ , like some kind of fine jewelry.

Dean must have read his expression because he was laughing, getting into the driver's side.

"She's a beaut, ain't she? Restored her with my dad. She was barely more than a scrap of junk metal when we found her. Took months of hard work, but she's definitely my pride and joy."

And no matter how hard he tried to fight it, Cas found a small smile spreading on his lips. Dean's happiness was contagious.

"All right, where's your brother?" Dean asked, voice raised slightly so he would be heard over the smooth purr of the beast beneath them. 

"Middle school. He should be waiting up front." Dean laughed again, and Cas tilted his head in a confused manner. 

"Man, shoulda told Sammy to stay put. Didn't think your brother was a middle schooler, so I told mine to take the bus today, instead of having me take him home." 

Another boisterous laugh and then they were peeling out of the lot.

Not only was Dean's _happiness_ contagious, so was his _laugh_. 

Cas was determined to keep the laugh trying to bubble up his throat inside, though. And, in the end, he succeeded at staying quiet. 

...

After dropping off a very excited Gabriel, Dean drove to -presumably- his house.

Cas was just a bundle of nerves the entire time. He tried to enter a different headspace, pretend like what was about to happen, well, _wasn't._

Apparently, his mind hated him, though, because all he could think about was how much it would hurt.

Would Dean have _any_ mercy on him? Or would he just go for it?

"You okay?" Cas yelped when Dean said something for the first time since dropping off Gabriel. The alpha looked at him apologetically before turning back to the road. 

"Sorry, Cas. Didn't mean to startle you. It's just..." He upturned his nose, visibly sniffing the air. "It smells like distressed omega in here. And since you're the only omega that has been in here for, like, a week, it's gotta be you."

Cas wondered about the other omega. Were they taken advantage of too? Were they forced into the car? Did Dean even know them? Or did he just figure they smelled good and decided to use them?

"Sorry. I'm, uh, I'm fine. I can open a window, if you'd like?" He guessed smelling distressed could be a huge turn-off. And as much as he wanted to use that to get Dean to stay away from him, he wasn't sure if he would be punished for it. 

"No, no, it's fine. I don't mind it. Just wanted to make sure you're all right." Now Castiel was _really_ confused. Why would Dean care? Or pretend to care? He understood that Dean was trying to groom him, but still. This seemed like a small thing, even then.

"We're gonna be there, in like, a minute or so. Just so you know." And then it went silent again. And Cas honestly didn't know if that was better or worse. 

Dean parked in the driveway of a nice house. Bigger than Cas' but not by all that much. And that settled him, if only a little, for some strange reason. But at this point, he'd take any comfort that he could get. 

Just a few more minutes and then he'd be taken against his will by the second alpha in his life. It took all the strength he had to force himself out of the car, standing idly by as Dean got out as well, fishing for his house keys. 

Cas didn't understand why it wasn't with his car keys, but he wasn't stupid enough to ask.

"Ah-hah! Got it!" And Dean looked so triumphant that if Cas wasn't almost _shaking_ from fear, he'd think that it was cute. 

Dean got the door unlocked, opening it for Cas to go in first. And as soon as he did, his knees buckled, and he felt like he was going to be sick.

A wave of _alpha_ hit him, and now he was even more afraid. 

Three. There were _three alphas_ living here. And now that he was paying attention, there was also the hint of a female omega living here as well.

The poor girl was probably being abused, kept here against her will. 

"Everything all right?" Dean asked, feigning concern as he passed the threshold as well. 

"U-uh, yeah. Fine. Where to?" _Just a few minutes now._

"My room. Come on," Dean started towards the staircase, and Cas stood stock-still for a moment, willing his legs to follow. 

It took another long minute before they obeyed and he followed Dean.

When they got up to the alpha's bedroom, Cas was almost stunned. 

For one, that nest looked _amazing._ Definitely not the worst place he's been taken. 

And, the entire room smelled like apple pie with whipped cream, grease and oil, the smell of earth after a thunderstorm, and lounging in bed on Sundays. It almost had hints of... comfort and safety.

His nose was just acting up. It was the only logical explanation for why he suddenly felt warm and protected. 

_Time to get this over with._

"Where do you want me?" He asked quietly, wanting to hurry up so they'd have time to actually work on their project.

"On the bed is fine." And then, to Cas' surprise, Dean sat down in his desk chair instead, rolling it over to where Cas was making his way up to the headboard, laptop in hand.

"So, do we want a slides presentation? Or something else?" Maybe Dean just wanted to work first? And then get pleasure from Cas?

"Um, slides sounds good, I guess." 

Dean absolutely beamed.

"Awesome."

...

It was around six O'clock, and they got a good chunk done. Dean, at some point, had gravitated closer and now they were both sharing the bed. 

"So, Cas," _This is it. He's gonna try something now._ "How about you stay for dinner? Mom's making some baked penne. She's a great cook. What do you say?" 

Castiel was so surprised by the question, he let out a reflexive "Yeah," and almost immediately regretted it.

Next, he'd be roped into spending the night, and so many things could happen in the protective cloak of darkness.

"Great! It should be done soon. 'Till then," _I want you to bend over for me,"_ You ever play Mortal Kombat? Bet I could kick your ass."

Dean must still be grooming him, trying to build up that sense of comfort. Castiel promised himself that he'd research grooming topics later, to get an idea of what to expect. 

He took the controller Dean handed to him, watching the alpha set the game up.

...

Cas sat awkwardly at the table, watching as the nice-smelling omega plated the food for them.

"There you go, sweetie," She said kindly when putting a moderately full plate in front of him.

She seemed sweet, and Cas wondered what they did to her. They must only leave bruises where no one will see, and Castiel almost wanted to cry at the thought of this beautiful omega getting hurt so much.

_She didn't deserve it_. 

_No one did_.

When Dean's mom didn't wince while sitting down, Cas felt marginally better. At least they weren't too rough. Or, at least they weren't recently. 

"This looks great, mom," Dean said happily, digging in as his younger brother made a noise of agreement, already shoveling food into his mouth. 

Mary looked on fondly, smiling when John took her hand. "Slow down, Sam. You're gonna choke." 

And then she turned those beautiful green eyes onto him.

"So, Cas, how do you and Dean know each other?"

"Mom!" Dean groaned, flushed in what Cas thought was embarrassment. 

"What? I just want to know!" She defended, turning back to him with an exasperated roll of her eyes.

If Cas wasn't aware of the abuse, it would almost be nice. Like normal family banter.

But the omega must be putting up a front for their guest, as to not alert anyone else to the horrors of her day-to-day life. 

"We have Anthropology class together, ma'am." He said shyly, looking down towards his plate, hiding from all the people -mostly alphas- staring at him.

"Anthropology, huh? Tell me, is Dean a good student?" Cas looked up, to see Dean blushing and trying to curl into himself as she elbowed him playfully in the ribs. 

" _Mom._ " Mary laughed loudly, shaking her head. 

"I'm just kidding."

...

As soon as Cas got home, he immediately got on his phone to research grooming tactics.

He scrolled down a few articles, checking off what Dean did.

_They pretend to be someone you can trust, so you put your guard down._

_Check._

_They are very charming and present themselves as people who are the answer to all your needs._

_Check._

_They appear to be very empathetic – mirroring you and showing a great amount of “seeing’ you and validating your felt needs and experiences._

_Half-check._

_Groomers act very innocuous and light-hearted._

_Check._

_They pretend to be your protector, acting outraged if anything bad happens to you and promising to protect you from all evil._

_Not yet._

Castiel put his phone down with a heavy heart, and that night, he fell asleep with a sense of uneasiness filling his body and one thought in his mind.

_An alpha was trying to groom him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings:  
> Mentions of grooming  
> Mentions of mpreg  
> So, I've done a lot of research on grooming prior to this story, just because I follow a lot of true crime and this is a heavy part of human trafficking. I got this particular information from PsychCentral. The article is called How Victims are groomed by Abusive Predators if you're interested in doing your own research. And, just to clarify, if someone does some of these things, they may not be grooming. They may just act like this. Dean is not grooming Cas. He's just a good alpha. And I'd never let him abuse our sweet boy. If you suspect that you, or someone you know, are being groomed, do research and talk to a professional. Grooming is a very dangerous manipulation tactic. And their main goal is to wrap you in a false sense of security and comfort before other forms of abuse start. Another big tactic of grooming is gaslighting. If any of these things have happened to you, just remember it's not your fault.  
> I LIVE for comments. Please, please, please feel free to leave one. I don't bite. That hard.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean saves Cas like a good alpha

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings at the bottom. This one's a lil heavy guys

Dean was surprisingly helpful on the project, so they got it done almost three days early. 

It was refreshing, sharing the workload with someone else, and not having to do it all himself. No matter how wary he was of Dean, he had to admit that the alpha was very smart.

And he _hated_ admitting it.

So, after they finished, he figured he could just sit in peace, no longer having to socialise with him. 

But he was quickly mistaken.

...

"So, Cas, what kind of movies do you like?" Dean asked, and when Cas looked up, the young alpha was grinning at him. 

Castiel frowned, eyebrows pulling in for a confused furrow. "What is the importance of knowing my movie preferences?" He asked uncomfortably, shifting a little in his seat.

"Dude, it is the most important question _ever._ You can tell _everything_ about a person knowing their taste in movies! So, c'mon. What is it?"

Cas let out an annoyed sigh, rolling his eyes. "Right now my favorite is the _Harry Potter_ series. I watched it recently after it was recommended by a friend."

Dean's grin widened, which didn't seem possible. Cas was sure that had to hurt his cheeks. 

Not that he particularly _cared_ about Dean and his possible discomfort. 

"I _love_ Harry Potter! Whoever recommended it seems _awesome._ "

Cas just nodded because Charlie was absolutely awesome, and Cas' first true friend. And he didn't particularly want that ruined by Dean. 

"How about music? What kind of music do you like? For me, it's classic rock all the way. Nothing compares to some Metallica and Led Zeppelin." 

Cas let a small smile slip because he was very passionate about music. "I like melodic tunes with meaningful lyrics. Or jazz. Jazz is nice and comforting. My favorite song, though, is The Bee Song by Arthur Askey." Cas got a dreamy, far-away look on his face when he thought about the tune. It just made him feel... _so happy._

He was too busy in his little trance to notice Dean looking at him with adoration written all over his face.

...

The next day, Castiel was walking to his locker to get his anthropology stuff, minding his own business. 

His textbook was at the bottom, trapped in by the edge on the side of the locker. He leaned down to get it, which, unnoticed by him, caused his butt to stick out slightly into the walkway, but not enough to disrupt the people around him. 

He thought nothing of it until he felt two large hands grabbing at his ass, causing him to tense and a sharp wave of fear to wash through him, his scent immediately souring with it.

His first thought was Dean. The alpha must've finally gotten fed up with the art of grooming. 

But then the person behind him spoke, and Cas finally got a whiff of the rotten smell. He immediately recognised it as _Alistair._

"Such a nice ass there, pretty omega bitch," He leaned close, grinding his crotch against him, and tears prickled at Castiel's eyes when he felt the hard cock poking his ass, even through all the layers of clothing.

And then there was the loudest, most _terrifying_ sound Cas had ever heard. 

An angry alpha's _roar_. 

It was so loud he was surprised the lockers weren't shaking with it, and that his ears weren't sore. 

Alistair's hands -and crotch- were suddenly gone, and Cas quickly turned around, hiding his ass from all the others, and watching the scene that played out before him.

He quickly pieced together that it was _Dean_ who had roared and Dean looked _livid,_ eyes a deep, alpha red as he punched Alistair in the face with a sickening crunch.

"If I see you so much as _look_ at him again, I will do so much worst. I swear to _God,_ I'll make you wish you were never fucking born." Dean snarled, teeth bared, showing off his elongated fangs.

"It's his fault for being a fucking knot-tease!" Alistair squawked indignantly, causing Dean to growl, fist rearing back before a teacher, one Cas didn't recognize, was escorting Alistair away from the scene as another teacher told everyone to get to class. 

Once the other alpha was out of sight, Dean cursed under his breath and made his way over to the frightened omega.

"You okay?" He asked softly, even though Cas clearly wasn't. He was shaking and teary-eyed, scent _reeking_ with pure, unadulterated _fear._

"How about I walk you to the office so you can get someone to come pick you up?" Dean asked kindly, teeth back to normal.

That sure as hell got Cas' attention, and he was shaking his head vehemently. He didn't need to bother Michael just because he was dumb enough to stick his ass out. He was practically _presenting_. He had _definitely_ asked for it.

"D-don't want to go ho-home," He whimpered, the tears finally starting to fall. 

He was so fucking _weak._

Such a stupid omega who hadn't learned his place yet and had to have some alpha swoop in to save him because he was dumb enough to inadvertently tease an alpha

"Hey, hey," Dean soothed, and Cas didn't even flinch when he used his big thumbs to wipe away the tears. "It's okay. _You're_ okay. Why don't I go talk to Mr. Fuller and we can sit somewhere quiet, yeah?"

And as much as Castiel hated himself for it, his inner omega was _begging_ not to be left alone, so he nodded, unable to meet the alpha's eyes.

"Okay, Cas. Come on," Castiel practically clung to Dean's arm as they walked towards their classroom.

Castiel waited outside as Dean went in, bringing Mr. Fuller up to date with the situation and asking that they be excused.

Cas felt so violated and disgusted. He could still feel Alistair's harsh fingers digging into his cheeks, making more tears well up. 

Why couldn't his body just be _his?_

And then he realised one more thing before Dean came back out. 

_They pretend to be your protector, acting outraged if anything bad happens to you and promising to protect you from all evil._

_Check._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings:  
> -Sexual assault  
> -Omega slurs  
> -Victim blaming  
> -Mentions of grooming
> 
> Please, please, please leave a comment <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some feelings, some attempted reassurances.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is also a little heavy, guys. Warnings at the bottom.

Dean led them to a secluded part of the school, to a hidden classroom. He only knew of the place because a teacher had shown it to him last year when he was getting overwhelmed by the crowds. 

It was more for staff than actually hidden, but if a student did know about it, that meant they had been let in on the location. So if a teacher came in, they wouldn't be questioned.

There were some bookshelves lining the walls, a few couches, bean bags, and small tables spread throughout the room.

"W-where are we?" Cas asked timidly, and Dean smiled kindly at him.

"It's a staff room, but don't worry. We won't get in trouble." Dean led him over to one of the couches, sitting down with the omega.

"Do you wanna talk about what happened?" He asked softly, Castiel pressed thigh to shoulder next to him. 

"There's not much to talk about... it's happened before, and it'll happen again. I'm an omega. It's how the world works."

...

Castiel was surprised that he was opening up at all to Dean, but he was just so tired.Tired of alphas taking pleasure that he wasn't willing to give. Tired of alphas walking all over him. Tired of being all alone. Just _tired._

So, if Dean was just going to use him, why not get something out of it? Such as finally talking about how he felt.

The alpha didn't seem too keen on sharing him, so it wasn't likely he would tell someone about this.

And Cas _needed_ to get it off his chest.

Needed to finally tell someone about what happened to him, even if Dean would most likely use it against him in the near future. 

What was the use of hiding it anyway? Maybe Dean wouldn't want him if he found out he had already been used.

"I don't fucking care if that's how the 'world works'. Doesn't mean you, or any omega, for that matter, should be sexually assaulted just because alphas decided they owned the world. Guess what? We don't. And the sooner people realise that, the sooner omegas won't feel so unsafe and discriminated against." Dean smelled angry, and Castiel wondered if it was normal for alphas to be able to manipulate their scent to fit what they wanted.

"And what do you mean it's already happened? Has he done this before?" 

And holy shit, now that he was about to say it, he felt nervous. He felt _scared._ But he was determined, and Cas was nothing if not stubborn. 

He had stayed silent long enough as it is.

Even if telling Dean didn't mean anything and may be turned against him, he needed someone else to know. 

"Not him. Someone else. A while ago."

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Dean asked softly, rubbing Cas' shoulder. And Castiel felt an odd sense of comfort from the gesture.

He took a breath, bracing himself, because he was about to say the words, _out loud,_ for the first time.

"Um- I was- uh, I was thirteen," _Jesus_ , this was harder than he thought it should be. He had lived it, saying it shouldn't be nearly as painful.

Clearing his throat, he tried again. "I was thirteen and he, the alpha, was sixteen, lived next door. He would start sneaking into my bedroom and he- he-" He had to take a moment before forcing the words, "He did stuff to me." Out in one big breath.

Castiel felt so ashamed, and he really shouldn't have been surprised when he felt the familiar wetness around his eyes.

"Cas..." Dean said in a shaky voice, and Cas couldn't take it. He just _couldn't take it._

Because he had kept that secret to himself for _three fucking years._ And now that someone else finally knew, he started crying like a little baby, turning to hide his face in Dean's shoulder.

He was surprised when the alpha put an arm around him, pulling him closer. Dean was releasing protective and comforting pheromones, and Cas greedily breathed it in.

"I know it's stupid. It's so fucking _stupid_ to tell _you_ , of all people, the alpha who's trying to _groom_ me. And, eventually, you'll do the same. I know you've been waiting to. But I needed to _tell someone._ "

Cas should have just shut his mouth, he knew. But after talking about his past experience, his mouth was just throwing everything out there, making Dean pull away.

He probably just angered the alpha and was about to get the beating of a lifetime, all because he couldn't fucking control his mouth.

"You- you think I'm trying to- to _use_ you?" Dean asked, and he actually sounded hurt.

Cas looked up, confused, even more so when he saw that confusion mirrored on Dean's face.

"Cas, I'm _not._ I don't want to hurt you. Or _any_ omega. I- if I had _known_ that's what you were thinking, I would have done a better job at making my intentions clear. I just want to be friends with you." Cas stared at him, biting his lip.

He knew Dean was lying, _he did._ But at the same time, Dean had protected him, fought off another alpha's unwanted advantages.

And this alpha was obviously trying to make him feel safe, waiting to strike when he least expected it, but maybe Dean wouldn't be the worst alpha to use him.

It was gonna happen anyways, from Dean or someone random, so he might as well choose one who wouldn't try to share him. One who even acted decently at times. 

Maybe it wouldn't even be all that bad. Dean wasn't the worst smelling, and he put on the act of being nice to Cas.

If he was gonna be taken against his will, it may as well be by a semi-friendly alpha.

...

Dean was absolutely _appalled_ when Castiel told him he thought he was being groomed. By _Dean._ He felt appalled and absolutely _sick._

It made sense with all the subpar alphas in his life, so Dean tried not to take it personally, but he was so fucking _relieved_ when Cas nodded, showing he understood that Dean _wasn't_ trying to take advantage of him.

"Friends," Cas said softly, "I'd like that."

And, shit, now everything kind of _clicked._ Cas' scent would sometimes turn fearful, or his eyes would be filled with this haunted kind of look, or he'd get really nervous out of the blue.

And what Dean had written off as shyness, maybe paired with social awkwardness, was actually Cas thinking Dean was going to- to- Dean couldn't even _think_ about what Cas had thought for _months._

And, fuck. Maybe him trying to switch partners had nothing to do with Dean, but more with his subgender.

The fact that Cas had just planned to take it? Broke Dean's fucking heart. And suddenly _he_ was the one about to cry because this omega was so strong, even with the shithole that has become of his life.

Dean slowly maneuvered Cas -who went along without protest- so his head was in Dean's lap, eyes focused on his face.

Dean just smiled sweetly, threading his fingers through the omega's hair.

...

Cas had almost expected Dean to use him then, which would have been pretty shitty, but he just started playing with his hair, gently raking his nails over Cas' scalp, which felt so fucking _good._

Castiel got the sudden, ridiculous, urge to _purr._ He shoved it down, because he's never done that before, and didn't totally feel safe anyway. He had to still be on guard because any moment could be the moment Dean drops the charade. 

But he was content to just lie there, letting his hair be messed with.

He could definitely feel the weight of the day melting away with each steady stroke of Dean's fingers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Mentions of rape  
> -Mentions of grooming
> 
> What'd you guys think?? Please, please, please leave comments. I love them.  
> Also, please let me know if I missed any triggers.  
> And, I know it may seem completely out of character for Cas to just randomly start trusting Dean, but remember that he doesn't trust alphas, or Dean. He's just resigned himself to the fact that he will be assaulted, no matter what, and he decided it'd be better to be assaulted by someone who fended off other potential predators. We still have a long ways to go before Cas starts to truly trust Dean.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean gets Cas to come over again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, all! I haven't disappeared on you guys like I have a habit of doing. I've actually been working on a prompted piece! By the one and only ZATION! Can you believe she trusted m, of all people, to write her something? For those of you who don't know, she's definitely one of, if not the best, writers on here, and my best friend. You should definitely check her out :) Anyway, this has been sitting around collecting dust and I wanted to let you know I haven't abandoned this story. Have a great read!!

Ever since Cas had told Dean about his past experiences a little over two weeks ago, Dean has been trying to act as non-threatening as possible.

He didn't want the omega to be uncomfortable around him, to just wait around, wondering when he was gonna be used.

They finished their project last week. At school. Which meant that Dean hasn't had a valid reason to invite the boy back to his place. 

And his room no longer held any traces of the omega's scent. 

It was Thursday when he finally decided _fuck it_ , and sat down in Anthropology class, turning to the boy.

"Come over today. After school. I can take your brother home for you like last time."

Cas looked at him with his adorable tilted head, eyes squinting, as if he were trying to detect suspicious undernotes. And, yeah. Dean should have been clearer.

"Not for what you're probably thinking. I just wanna hang out. Plus, I finally got Unravel Two, and I need someone to play with." Dean gave his most innocent smile, and his scent exploded in triumph when Cas nodded his consent, relaxing into his seat.

...

Castiel hated this. He's been trying to fight it. But every day it got harder and harder to remember why he had to.

He was starting to _like_ Dean. As in, _I want to be friends with you and spend a lot of time together_ , kind of like. 

But Dean was an _alpha._

Albeit, a kind one. He was also sweet. And funny. And smart. Oh! And sometimes he did this cute thing where he'd- _Stop it, Cas. He's an_ alpha. _Not your friend._

All too soon, the school day was over and Cas nervously made his way to the parking lot, immediately spotting Dean's sleek car, the most beautiful one in the parking lot. 

He jumped when Dean tapped his shoulder from behind. 

"Fancy meeting you here," Dean said with a cocky smile, moving forward to unlock the doors. 

"You told me to come here...?" Cas was confused, but he got the sense that he had said something weird when Dean looked at him in amusement.

"Get in, you dork." He shook his head with a secret smile, getting in the driver's side.

Castiel furrowed his brow but listened nonetheless, sliding into the passenger seat.

"We gotta get Sammy as well. He'll be pissed if I make him ride the bus again." Dean gave a smaller smile this time, one that was filled with so much love, Cas wanted to tear up.

He didn't want to seem sappy, but what would it feel like to have that smile pointed at him? _For_ him. 

It'd probably make him really happy...

...

Dean was really confused when suddenly the car was filled with the scent of yearning omega.

What was going on in that pretty little head of Cas'?

Dean spared a glance at Cas, trying to decipher that look on his face, but before he could come up with any sort of answer, they pulled up to the middle school, and Cas' scent completely changed.

Gabriel came running, but Sam was nowhere to be found. Rolling his eyes, Dean turned off the car. "Gimme a minute, Cas. Gotta find my pain in the ass little brother."

Cas didn't respond, too busy talking to Gabriel, and Dean gave one last fond glance before going to find the baby sasquatch. 

Dean found him at the front of the middle school, talking to some blonde girl, and looking _very_ uncomfortable.

Dean grinned, getting close enough to hear.

"-rty. I think it'd be fun if we went together. Maybe we could even grab some food beforehand?" 

Dean was dying of laughter on the inside. Sam was being asked out for the first time! It was even funnier because it looked like he didn't want to be having this conversation in the slightest.

"J-Jess, I think you're ver-very sweet, but I, uh, I can't. Sorry." And then he ducked his head to avoid 'Jess's' disappointed look.

When he looked back up, his eyes landed on Dean, and Dean actually started laughing when his face immediately turned a bright red.

"Gotta go," Sam mumbled before scurrying past both Jess and Dean, eyes on the ground, and if Dean was still an immature child, he would trip the boy. But even he knew he was too old for that, unfortunately.

Dean gave the girl an apologetic shrug before following Sam back to the car, taking some mercy out on him and not mentioning what just happened.

"Finally!" Gabe shrieked, opening the door for Sam to climb in, and Dean grinned, walking over to the driver's side.

"Hey, Dee?" Dean hummed in acknowledgment, waiting until he was done backing up before locking eyes with Sam in the rearview mirror.

"Can I go to Gabe's? You could pick me up when you take Cas home."

Dean licked his lips, glancing at Cas, then the road, then back to Sam.

"That's not really up to me, bud. You gotta ask Cas." He heard the omega take in a sharp breath, and no matter how curious Dean was about it, he wasn't gonna ask in front of Gabe and Sam.

"Pleeeaaase, Cassie?" Gabe whined, and Dean saw Cas' little smile out of the corner of his eye.

"Sure, I'll text Michael to let him know." Gabe let out a squeal of excitement, and Sam must've thought Dean looked away because he leaned over and kissed Gabe's cheek, and holy shit. They were going to discuss _that_ later. 

Cas didn't notice because, true to his word, he was texting someone, and Dean couldn't wait to tell him that their brothers were experiencing cute puppy love.

"Make sure to get your homework done, Sam. Don't just mess around." Okay, it wasn't necessary to tell _Sam_ of all people to do his homework, but it was still Dean's job as the older brother.

"Yes, Dean," Sam said, exasperated, and Dean grinned.

They got to Cas' house a few minutes later, and Dean watched in amusement as Sam and Gabe bolted out of the car and to the door, hurrying inside.

"They were excited," Cas noted, and Dean scoffed.

"Yeah, I'll bet."

"What do you mean?" Just to make sure, Dean turned his head, and _yep,_ there was that adorable head tilt.

"I'll tell you when we get to my place."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Very VERY brief mention of non con, but that's to be expected in here  
> Now head on over to Zation, yeah? And as always, I'm looking forward to your comments


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get a little... Delicate (isn't it, isn't it?) at Dean's house. (If you understood that reference, I love you)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys!! Back again with another update. I've unofficially kinda made Wednesdays my updating days, but I was gone for so long that I figured you guys deserve this surprise chapter! My other project is finished and updated if you guys wanna go give it some love. As always, warnings at the bottom

Dean soon parked in his driveway and Cas looked around, a little wary. Sure, the last time he came here wasn't so bad, but what if this visit was different? 

What if Dean finally showed his true self?

Cas was nervous, but he did his best to rein in his scent. Because as fucked up as it was, he didn't like to see Dean sad -pretending or not- and that heartbreakingly crestfallen look always appears when Cas is doubting his intentions.

He got out of the car when Dean did, following the older boy into the house. 

"I know I said I wanted you to play a video game with me, but we don't have to. Whatever you want to do." Dean shrugged, taking his leather jacket off and hanging it on one of the many hooks lining the wall.

"I have  _ Scrabble  _ if you wanna play that," Dean raked his eyes over Cas' form, causing the omega to shift minutely. "You just look like the type to play  _ Scrabble _ ."

Cas blushed because he absolutely loved that game, and it was a little embarrassing that Dean could just  _ tell. _

"I, uh, I'd like that." He let a small smile break loose, and the one Dean returned was almost too bright to look at.

"Great!"

...

"No, it's not." Cas huffed, crossing his arms, and staring the alpha down, too caught up in the argument to realise he probably shouldn't try to intimidate an alpha.

"Yes it is!" Dean squawked indignantly, crossing his arms as well, mirroring Cas.

"Dicknose is not a word!" 

"Dicknose is too a word! You're being one right now!" Dean argued, making Cas glare daggers at him, causing Dean to burst out laughing, even as he tried to remain serious. "Well, you are!"

Cas threw a pillow, hitting Dean square in the face, which only made the alpha laugh harder.

Even Cas was starting to get amused, trying to contain his smile and failing miserably.

"I'm not counting it, Dean." He said with an air of finality, and Dean sobered up quickly.

"Oh, c'mon, man! Fine, fine. You're no fun." Cas would have been hurt if it weren't for the smile still planted on Dean's very beautiful fa- Whoa, whoa  _ wait.  _ Where the hell had that come from?

"You can get rid of dicknose, but not dick." Dean said, taking nose off the word, and Cas rolled his eyes so hard it almost gave him a headache .

...

Cas was having so much fun, he never even realised they were home alone until he heard two pairs of footsteps downstairs, tilting his head at Dean.

Without having to verbalize anything, Dean explained. "Mom and dad just got home from their early date."

Cas furrowed his eyebrows because mom had never taken dad out on a date.  _ Ever _ , from what he could tell.

Alphas owned omegas. Even more so when mated. Dates were not necessary.

"What's going on in that cute lil head of yours?" Dean asked softly, and Cas looked at him in confusion. 

"My head is... cute?" 

Dean blushed, looking down at the floor now. "I mean, that wasn't really the point, but... yeah. Everything about you is cute, actually." Dean shyly lifted his eyes, watching Cas' face for a reaction, and Cas was even more confused.

Compliments were also unnecessary. And he's  _ never  _ seen an alpha get all shy like Dean just did. 

"I... do not understand you." He admitted, making Dean snap his eyes back up to his. "You are an alpha, this I am sure of. But... you do not act like an alpha." 

"What is an alpha supposed to act like, Cas?" Dean asked, in the softest voice Cas has heard him use so far.

"Controlling. Dominating. Self-centered. They do not compliment omegas. They do not take omegas out for dates. They do not..." Cas trailed off, his face suspiciously hot, and eyes wet. 

"They don't what, Cas?"

"They do not love omegas." He closed his eyes, ignoring the tear that fell.

He shouldn't be so sad right now. He already knew these things. It was stupid to expect an alpha to act any differently.

And yet... he finds himself wishing to be loved.

"Cas, hey," Dean moved closer, gently taking ahold of Cas' face, lifting it so their eyes could meet. 

Then, for the second time since they've met, he wiped the boy's tears away.

"Not all alpha's are the same. And I'm really sorry that all your life you've only encountered the assholes. But my mom, my dad, they raised me to love omegas. To cherish them. And other alphas were raised the same way. Albeit, not the majority. But you'll find one of the good ones. One of the alphas who will love, cherish, and respect you."

Cas almost believed him. Could Dean truly be a  _ good  _ alpha?

God, he wanted to believe  _ so badly  _ that it could be true _.  _

But it was unreasonable. He's been shown time and time again that omegas are more of a burden to alphas than anything else. That they were only good for fucking, cleaning, beating, and breeding. Used to be thrown away later. 

His heart yearned for Dean though.

And to some extent, so did his mind. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Mentions of physical/psychological abuse
> 
> I'm bad at responding to you guys, but I read all of your comments (usually more than once) and they never fail to make me smile! So, if you please, go ahead and leave me a comment, I cherish them. And who knows, maybe one day I'll finally know what to respond with!!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Cas make progress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all, I'm back!! Now, get read for some serious heart-aching, tooth-rotting fluff! It's about damn time, am I right? Can we also appreciate Cas for being so in tune with his feelings to be able to figure stuff out? Couldn't be me.  
> As always, please leave a comment! I love reading them and I can't wait to know what you think of this <3 Enjoy!

Dean convinced Cas to stay for dinner again, this time for pot roast. This time, however, it was just the four of them, Sam still with Gabe.

"It's nice to see ya again, Cas." John said with a charming smile -definitely where Dean got his-, clapping the omega on the back as he walked by.

"Yeah, Dean hasn't shut up about you since the last time you were here." Mary added, and Dean burned a bright red. 

"N-no," He mumbled, and both his parents laughed loudly at his embarrassment, Cas looking at him with that adorable head tilt. 

Dean just hid his face to avoid the omega's curious eyes. 

Once the embarrassment passed, Dean flashed Mary his cutest grin with a, "This is amazing, mom." And Mary returned a warm smile at the praise.

"I'm glad someone enjoys my cooking," She teased, throwing John a pointed look.

John playfully growled, which caused Cas to startle slightly. Thankfully, only Dean seemed to notice. And, okay, maybe this was pushing all kinds of boundaries, but Dean grabbed ahold of Cas' hand under the table, threading their fingers together. Cas squeezed his hand, offering a grateful smile before starting to eat again.

Dean bit his lip against his smile, the weight of Cas' hand in his making him happier than he could properly express in his meager vocabulary.

...

Dean held Cas' hand all through dinner and dessert, and his stomach was alive with butterflies the entire time. He was so fucking gone on this omega. 

This sweet, gorgeous omega who's been through so much shit, but is still here and able to smile. He was so quickly falling in love with the boy, and though he knew Cas might not ever feel the same, he was still so happy when around him. He just wanted to be with the omega 24/7, which gave him a _great_ idea. 

Gnawing on his lower lip, he looked over at Cas doing homework on his bed. Fuck, the sight of Cas looking so damn comfortable and relaxed in Dean's nest really did something to his libido.

Swallowing his nerves, he turned to Cas with what he hoped was a non-threatening smile. "So, I, uh... Fuck, okay. I have a question, and please feel free to say no if you're uncomfortable, ok? I-I was wondering if maybe you wanted to stay the night, possibly?"

Dean didn't want to push Cas too far, too soon, but he really wanted to wake up next to Cas, see that beautiful face of his smoothed out with sleep.

The omega seemed to think it over, which made Dean happy because he didn't want Cas to say yes just because he thought that was what Dean wanted.

"I think... I would be... amenable to that. Where would I be sleeping?"

"My bed?" Dean squeaked, and when Cas narrowed his eyes, the alpha rushed to clarify. "I'm not gonna try something, nor am I expecting anything to happen. It's just... My bed is comfy. And big. And I- we have a guest room, but I thought you might not want to sleep in a strange place alone. I'm here for platonic cuddles, and whatever else you might want. Or don't want. And if you don't want cuddles, or to share a bed with me, that's okay too. Whatever _you_ want, Cas."

Castiel was smiling after his little speech, eyes crinkling at the corners, the blue a bit brighter than usual, like the sun reflecting off ocean waters. Goddamn, he was beautiful. 

"I will stay, Dean. And I will sleep in your bed, but _only_ if you _promise_ not to be a blanket hog."

Dean let out a surprised laugh, biting his lip again to try and reign in his ever-growing smile.

"No promises."

God, his heart felt so full it almost hurt. 

...

Getting into bed with Dean, an _alpha,_ was nerve-wracking, to say the least. Alpha's have hurt him so much, and getting into bed may as well have been an invite into his body, right? But even after listing off all the reasons this was a bad idea in his head, Cas didn't believe Dean would do such a thing. He was... he was starting to trust him.

And even though his mind was screaming at him that this was dangerous, his instincts, his _omega,_ trusted Dean. He just hoped they weren't leading him astray. 

He looked up just in time to see Dean coming out of the bathroom. 

And he was naked _._

_Wait, no. Not naked. He's wearing boxers, albeit tight ones._

Dean was bright red, though, and he didn't look like he was ready to jump Cas' bones, so maybe this was okay?

"I- Sorry, I just don't like sleeping with clothes on... I could grab some, though, if this makes you uncomfortable?"

Cas thought on it, trying to figure out what he felt. 

Confused, nervous, a little sleepy. But uncomfortable? Scared? He didn't think so. 

Should he be? He was getting into bed with a nearly naked alpha, with no one else around, and with the bedroom door closed.

But if Dean were trying to manipulate Cas, get Cas to willingly let Dean use him, he would have already acted on it, right?

Instead, he protected him from alphas with wondering hands, he held Cas and let him talk about his past, he wiped his tears away when he was sad. And then he laughed with him, played _Scrabble_ with him on his bedroom floor, held his hand when he was nervous, tried to do everything possible to make him feel comfortable. And not once did he try to make Cas feel like his omega status made him willing to advances. He told him the exact opposite, in fact. Told him he deserved to be loved, deserved to be happy, didn't deserve being taken advantage of.

There were so many times Dean could have tried something, but he never did. Never seemed to want to. 

Maybe not all alphas were as bad as he thought? At least not Dean. 

"I'm not uncomfortable, Dean. Now, will you come to bed and hold me, please?"

Dean grinned, nodding, and then the room was enveloped in darkness as Dean turned off the light on his way to the bed.

Cas felt the mattress dip before there was some shuffling, and then all the noise stopped and Cas could feel that Dean was near, but wasn't holding him for some dumb reason.

Cas huffed, turning over on his side so that his back was turned to the stupid alpha.

"Dean?"

A pause, "Yeah, Cas?"

"I think I specifically told you to get in bed and _hold me._ "

Dean didn't respond for several long moments, and then the blanket was shifting as Dean slowly got closer. He stopped a few inches away, and Castiel rolled his eyes before pushing back, his back plastering to Dean's front. 

Dean's breath hitched, and then he was wrapping his arms around the omega, pulling him closer before holding on tight. Cas sighed, eyes closing. Yet they soon snapped open when he heard a noise and _fucking hell,_ Dean was _purring._

It was a deep sound that he could feel was reverberating Dean's entire chest, something that Cas felt right down to his very core, and he was pushing out pheromones of _happy alpha_ and _calm alpha._

It soothed Cas, made him feel safe enough let out an answering purr, softer than Dean's, but just as affectionate. Castiel wasn't sure he's ever been happier than he was currently, wrapped up in the arms of an alpha he was rapidly developing feelings for. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote most of this at work lmao, I hoped you enjoyed! Who knows, maybe soon they'll be together and it'll be a different kind of slow burn, if you know what I mean *wink wonk*  
> Please, please, please tell me what you thought!


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